SFST Southern First Bancshares Inc

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PART I. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

See notes to consolidated financial statements that are an integral part of these consolidated statements.

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See notes to consolidated financial statements that are an integral part of these consolidated statements.

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See notes to consolidated financial statements that are an integral part of these consolidated statements.

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See notes to consolidated financial statements that are an integral part of these consolidated statements.

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See notes to consolidated financial statements that are an integral part of these consolidated statements.

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SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE 1 – Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation

Business Activity
Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (the "Company") is a South Carolina corporation that owns all of the capital stock of Southern First Bank (the "Bank") and all of the stock of Greenville First Statutory Trust I and II (collectively, the "Trusts"). The Trusts are special purpose non-consolidated entities organized for the sole purpose of issuing trust preferred securities. The Bank's primary federal regulator is the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the "FDIC"). The Bank is also regulated and examined by the South Carolina Board of Financial Institutions. The Bank is primarily engaged in the business of accepting demand deposits and savings deposits insured by the FDIC, and providing commercial, consumer and mortgage loans to the general public.

Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2018. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 28, 2018. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and the Bank. In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 810, “Consolidation,” the financial statements related to the Trusts have not been consolidated.

Business Segments
In determining proper segment definition, the Company considers the materiality of a potential segment and components of the business about which financial information is available and regularly evaluated, relative to a resource allocation and performance assessment. The Company accounts for intersegment revenues and expenses as if the revenue/expense transactions were generated to third parties, that is, at current market prices. Please refer to “Note 9 – Reportable Segments” for further information on the reporting for the Company’s three business segments.

Use of Estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amount of income and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses, real estate acquired in the settlement of loans, fair value of financial instruments, evaluating other-than-temporary-impairment of investment securities and valuation of deferred tax assets.

Reclassifications
Certain amounts, previously reported, have been reclassified to state all periods on a comparable basis and had no effect on shareholders’ equity or net income.

Subsequent Events
Subsequent events are events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date but before financial statements are issued. Recognized subsequent events are events or transactions that provide additional evidence about conditions that existed at the date of the balance sheet, including the estimates inherent in the process of preparing financial statements. Non-recognized subsequent events are events that provide evidence about conditions that did not exist at the date of the balance sheet but arose after that date. Management performed an evaluation to determine whether there have been any subsequent events since the balance sheet date and determined that no subsequent events occurred requiring accrual or disclosure.

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Revenue from Contracts with Customers
The Company records revenue from contracts with customers in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“Topic 606”). Under Topic 606, the Company must identify the contract with a customer, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and recognize revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies a performance obligation. Significant revenue has not been recognized in the current reporting period that results from performance obligations satisfied in previous periods.

The Company’s primary sources of revenue are derived from interest and dividends earned on loans, investment securities, and other financial instruments that are not within the scope of Topic 606. The Company has evaluated the nature of its contracts with customers and determined that further disaggregation of revenue from contracts with customers into more granular categories beyond what is presented in the Consolidated Statements of Income was not necessary. The Company generally fully satisfies its performance obligations on its contracts with customers as services are rendered and the transaction prices are typically fixed; charged either on a periodic basis or based on activity. Our accounting policies will not change materially since the principles of revenue recognition from the Accounting Standards Update are largely consistent with existing guidance and current practices applied by our business. The following is a discussion of revenues within the scope of the new guidance:

Income Taxes
On December 22, 2017, the United States enacted tax reform legislation commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”), resulting in significant modifications to existing law. Authoritative guidance and interpretation by regulatory bodies is ongoing, and as such, the accounting for the effects of the Tax Act is not final and the full impact of the new regulation is still being evaluated.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards
In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASU 2014-09”), which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The ASU replaces most existing revenue recognition guidance in GAAP. The new standard was effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. Adoption of ASU 2014-09 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures as the Company’s primary sources of revenues are derived from interest and dividends earned on loans, investment securities, and other financial instruments that are not within the scope of ASU 2014-09. The Company’s revenue recognition pattern for revenue streams within the scope of ASU 2014-09, including but not limited to service charges on deposit accounts, ATM and debit card income, and gains/losses on the sale of other real estate owned, did not change significantly from current practice. The standard permits the use of either the full retrospective or modified retrospective transition method. The Company elected to use the modified retrospective transition method which requires application of ASU 2014-09 to uncompleted contracts at the date of adoption however, periods prior to the date of adoption will not be retrospectively revised as the impact of the ASU on uncompleted contracts at the date of adoption was not material.

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In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, “Financial Instruments – Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities” (“ASU 2016-01”). The guidance affects the accounting for equity investments, financial liabilities under the fair value option and the presentation and disclosure requirements of financial instruments. ASU 2016-01 was effective for the Company on January 1, 2018 and resulted in the use of an exit price rather than an entrance price to determine the fair value of loans not measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis in the consolidated balance sheets. See Note 7 – Fair Value Accounting for further information regarding the valuation of these loans.

In February 2018, the FASB amended certain aspects of the guidance issued in ASU 2016-01, the Financial Instruments Topic of the ASC. The amendments clarify certain aspects of the guidance issued in ASU 2016-01. The amendments were effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2018 and did not have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.

In February 2018, the FASB Issued ASU 2018-02, “Income Statement (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income” (“ASU 2018-02”), which requires companies to reclassify the stranded effects in other comprehensive income to retained earnings as a result of the change in the tax rates under the Tax Act. The Company has opted to early adopt this pronouncement by retrospective application to each period (or periods) in which the effect of the change in the tax rate under the Tax Act is recognized. The impact of the reclassification from other comprehensive income to retained earnings did not have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.

Newly Issued, But Not Yet Effective Accounting Standards
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”). The FASB issued this ASU to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under current U.S. GAAP and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The amendments in this ASU are effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2018. Early application of this ASU is permitted for all entities. The Company leases certain properties under operating leases that will result in the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities on the Company’s balance sheet under the ASU. At September 30, 2018, the Company had contractual future minimum lease commitments of approximately $15.2 million, before considering renewal options that are generally present, and is currently evaluating the impact of this pronouncement on its financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (“ASU 2016-13”). Among other things, ASU 2016-13 requires the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Financial institutions and other organizations will now use forward-looking information to form their credit loss estimates. Many of the loss estimation techniques applied today will still be permitted, although the inputs to those techniques will change to reflect the full amount of expected credit losses. In addition, ASU 2016-13 amends the accounting for credit losses on debt securities and purchased financial assets with credit deterioration. The amendments in ASU 2016-13 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2019, and interim periods within those years for public business entities that are SEC filers. Early adoption is permitted for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018, however, the Company does not currently plan to early adopt the ASU. We are evaluating the impact of the ASU on our consolidated financial statements. In addition to our allowance for loan losses, we will also record an allowance for credit losses on debt securities instead of applying the impairment model currently utilized. The amount of the adjustments will be impacted by each portfolio’s composition and credit quality at the adoption date as well as economic conditions and forecasts at that time.

In March 2017, the FASB amended the requirement in the Receivables-Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs Topic of the ASC related to the amortization period for certain purchased callable debt securities held at a premium. The amendments shorten the amortization period for the premium to the earliest call date. The amendments will be effective for the Company for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company does not expect these amendments to have a material effect on its financial statements.

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Other accounting standards that have been issued or proposed by the FASB or other standards-setting bodies that do not require adoption until a future date are not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

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The Company has evaluated the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) stock for impairment and determined that the investment in the FHLB stock is not other than temporarily impaired as of September 30, 2018 and ultimate recoverability of the par value of this investment is probable. All of the FHLB stock is used to collateralize advances with the FHLB.

At September 30, 2018, there were no securities pledged as collateral for borrowings or client deposits. At December 31, 2017, $7.7 million of securities were pledged as collateral for repurchase agreements from brokers.

NOTE 3 – Mortgage Loans Held for Sale

Mortgage loans originated and intended for sale in the secondary market are reported as loans held for sale and carried at fair value under the fair value option with changes in fair value recognized in current period earnings. At the date of funding of the mortgage loan held for sale, the funded amount of the loan, the related derivative asset or liability of the associated interest rate lock commitment, less direct loan costs becomes the initial recorded investment in the loan held for sale. Such amount approximates the fair value of the loan. At September 30, 2018, mortgage loans held for sale totaled $9.3 million compared to $11.8 million at December 31, 2017.

Mortgage loans held for sale are considered de-recognized, or sold, when the Company surrenders control over the financial assets. Control is considered to have been surrendered when the transferred assets have been isolated from the Company, beyond the reach of the Company and its creditors; the purchaser obtains the right (free of conditions that constrain it from taking advantage of that right) to pledge or exchange the transferred assets; and the Company does not maintain effective control over the transferred assets through an agreement that both entitles and obligates the Company to repurchase or redeem the transferred assets before their maturity or the ability to unilaterally cause the holder to return specific assets.

Gains and losses from the sale of mortgage loans are recognized based upon the difference between the sales proceeds and carrying value of the related loans upon sale and are recorded in mortgage banking income in the statement of income. Mortgage banking income also includes the gains and losses associated with the loans held for sale and the gains and losses from derivatives.

Mortgage loans sold by the Company to investors and which were believed to have met investor and agency underwriting guidelines at the time of sale may be subject to repurchase or indemnification in the event of specific default by the borrower or subsequent discovery that underwriting standards were not met. The Company may, upon mutual agreement, agree to repurchase the loans or indemnify the investor against future losses on such loans. In such cases, the Company bears any subsequent credit loss on the loans.

The Company establishes mortgage repurchase reserves related to various representations and warranties that reflect management’s estimate of losses based on a combination of factors. The Company establishes a reserve at the time loans are sold and updates the reserve estimate on a quarterly basis during the estimated life of the loan.

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Maturities and Sensitivity of Loans to Changes in Interest Rates
The information in the following tables summarizes the loan maturity distribution by type and related interest rate characteristics based on the contractual maturities of individual loans, including loans which may be subject to renewal at their contractual maturity. Renewal of such loans is subject to review and credit approval, as well as modification of terms upon maturity. Actual repayments of loans may differ from the maturities reflected below, because borrowers have the right to prepay obligations with or without prepayment penalties.

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Commercial
Commercial loans are assessed for estimated losses by grading each loan using various risk factors identified through periodic reviews. The Company applies historic grade-specific loss factors to each loan class. In the development of statistically derived loan grade loss factors, the Company observes historical losses over 20 quarters for each loan grade. These loss estimates are adjusted as appropriate based on additional analysis of external loss data or other risks identified from current economic conditions and credit quality trends. The allowance also includes an amount for the estimated impairment on nonaccrual commercial loans and commercial loans modified in a troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”), whether on accrual or nonaccrual status.

Consumer
For consumer loans, the Company determines the allowance on a collective basis utilizing historical losses over 20 quarters to represent its best estimate of inherent loss. The Company pools loans, generally by loan class with similar risk characteristics. The allowance also includes an amount for the estimated impairment on nonaccrual consumer loans and consumer loans modified in a TDR, whether on accrual or nonaccrual status.

Credit Quality Indicators

Commercial
We manage a consistent process for assessing commercial loan credit quality by monitoring its loan grading trends and past due statistics. All loans are subject to individual risk assessment. Our risk categories include Pass, Special Mention, Substandard, and Doubtful, each of which is defined by our banking regulatory agencies. Delinquency statistics are also an important indicator of credit quality in the establishment of our allowance for loan losses.

We categorize our loans into risk categories based on relevant information about the ability of the borrower to service their debt such as current financial information, historical payment experience, credit documentation, public information, and current economic trends, among other factors. A description of the general characteristics of the risk grades is as follows:

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The tables below provide a breakdown of outstanding commercial loans by risk category.